Drunk driving case demands vote on returning death penalty

I read with horror and disgust last week how Travis Fox’s tragic choice to drink and drive two years ago snuffed the young lives of passengers Paige Whitelaw of Saltair, and friend Carlee DeBoer.

Fox, 22, received just three years of jail time for his driving decision that forever changed the women’s families, and of course ended the future of Whitelaw and DeBoer.

Fox deserves life behind bars. Sadly, Canada has no death sentence. If our country had the death penalty, Fox would likely deserve it. No one held a gun to his head to drive on that fateful night of March 6, 2016 when his truck hit 141 kilometres per hour in a 60 km/h zone — while Fox’s blood-alcohol level was an astounding .151.

His actions were so dangerous, Fox might just as well have put shot glasses on his passengers’ heads and started target practice.

Still, he’s alive and rightly remorseful in hindsight, while two young women are now mere memories.

I implore you as premier to raise our province’s driver penalties for such stupid, tragic acts, and to demand a national referendum on returning the death penalty.